It’s not a secret that EA is proud to include LGBT in their
community. They push it a little too hard sometimes, but their heart is sort
of, kind of, maybe not really in the right place (Profit!).
But the inclusion of multiple sexual preferences has been pretty normal for
their products.
I appreciated the fact, albeit brief, that they didn’t flaunt that
they included multiple races, cultures, and what-not into their products. It’s
only recently within the past few years that as people have brought this
concerns to light, EA has been pushing it back into people’s faces. They hire lots of women and gays! More than anyone else in the industry! They even made good on their promise to include same-sex relationships in The Old Republic by having a gay planet.

“You’re going to talk about this in your blog tomorrow aren’t
you?”

Yes. Yes I am.

EA
and BioWare held the position for quite a while to not make a deal out of it.
BW in particular has posted on their company blog before that they think of it
as a non-issue. They were trying to replicate real-world relationships in an
alternate setting to draw gamers into the characters and feel some connection
to them.

What I have an issue with is EA is trying incredibly hard lately
to make them out to be the end-all, be-all; we love LGBT, women, and minorities
company! “We’re better than everyone else because we care!”

Why is there such a big push all of a sudden? And now with a
planet specifically made for same-sex relationships in TOR, you’re isolating
and ostracizing those who want that type of setting. You’ve no longer made them
inclusive – but now excluding gamers from the rest of the TOR population.
Which, isn’t that going against one of your topics at your mini-conference next
week? Whoops. I hope someone brings that to light. I’m sure it was a challenge
to let Lucas give up some control over his empire, but limiting the interactions
of same-sex relationships to a planet is the exact opposite of what you want to
achieve to improve social awareness. Good job EA. Put that up there next to
your binders of women.